A - Pours a perfectly transparent amber with several small bubbles rising to the creamy, two-finger, off-white head. A nice cap stays in place all the way down the glass. Leaves behind several large splotches of lacing. Nice.

S - Caramel, red apple and sour earthy hops great the nose upon opening the bottle. More of the same in the glass with perhaps some caramelized brown sugar. Really quite good.

T - Caramelized brown sugar and red apple upfront. The body is a nice blend of tart red apple, hop bitterness riding on the back of the tongue, and a hint of caramel malt. Huge wave of hops and apple as the beer passes over the back of the tongue fades into a biscuit, caramel and slightly overripe red apple finish.

M - Medium bodied with plenty of carbonation to give it a fresh feeling (even though this particular bottle is several months old). Well done.

As promised, Red Hoptober is a well hoped red ale that has a beautiful appearance. The only downside to this gem of a beer is that on a clean palate, the finish will start to turn slightly caustic at the end. Otherwise, the flavors, mouthfeel, and smell jive well to form a very delicious brew. One of my favorite red ales, I hope to get some more this coming fall. Now that I go to CSU, hopefully I can get is straight from the brewery!